Pack like the pros for your trip

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Airlines are making it tougher and tougher for folks who want to check a bag or even bring a good-sized carry-on on board a plane. Between bag fees and new categories of airline tickets that don't even allow overhead stowage carry-ons (as was recently instituted by United), it's becoming more and more important to learn how to travel with a minimal amount of luggage.

Suzanne Strong has travelled for 10 days with nothing but a satchel and a small carry-on bag. When she says that you, too, can pack like a pro she knows what she’s talking about.

“I think the general flying population struggles with this,” said Strong, a Toronto-based service director for Air Canada who flies frequently to London, Vancouver and other cities with little baggage. “At the beginning of my career I sure did.”

“You have to be creative,” said Strong. “I bring layers of clothes, and I bring various outfits that can all be worked into one.”

Strong said choosing a colour scheme is vital.

“Everything has to match. In winter I mostly wear black and in summer I wear cream, and then I use layers such as a scarf or a colourful pashmina. They can be quite inexpensive.”

Good walking shoes are essential, she added, and nice sneakers can be worn with jeans around a city.

Small travel-sized accessories also are good to buy.

Winter travel can be tricky with packing. Experts often suggest wearing your heaviest clothes on board the plane to avoid weight issues with your bags. A heavy jacket also can be used as a pillow or blanket on board.

Toronto-based Patty Marzek has been flying with Porter Airlines for 10 years and was a flight attendant for several years prior to that. She’s honed her packing to an exact science and can carry all she needs for a week in a carry-on bag.

“For a seven-day trip like Vancouver I’ll pack maybe five shirts, both dressy and casual, some workout clothes, two to three pairs of pants including shorts, two or three dresses, maybe one a bit dressy. I’ll also have a skirt, runners for working out and exploring, a pair of flats and one pair of dress shoes. Plus sleepwear.”

Marzek said she buys wrinkle-free clothes that are light in weight and rolls them instead of folding.

“There are less wrinkles when you roll your clothes and, depending on how tight you roll things, you can pack a lot more. When it’s uneven on the bottom of my suitcase I roll the first bit of clothes to make a level surface, then put my pants on top of that. I then put another layer of rolled clothes on top and fold the other half of my pants over that,” creating a sandwich-like effect, she said.

Marzek said she sticks to black as her primary colour, with colourful shirts or scarves. “Even a minor change can make your outfit look quite different.”

If you do need to check a bag at the airport, Marzek suggests putting toiletries, medication and a change of clothes in your carry-on bag in case your checked luggage gets delayed or lost, and be sure to double-bag toiletries in a zip-lock bag in case of leaks.

Michele Meyer is a Houston-based travel writer and consultant who helps people clean up their closets and also teaches folks how to travel light.

“Selection is important,” she said. “You need to start well ahead of your trip and get your things out, and then you have to go through and remove something every day.”

Meyer said all she takes on a trip is “a baby-sized carry-on.” She wears leggings because they’re light, and also packs a couple of sweaters. At the end of her trip, she clears up space in her bag by tossing out the underwear and socks she wore while away.

It’s important to realize that travel isn’t about sporting a wildly different outfit every day, said Strong.

“I’ve seen flight attendants wear the same thing several days in a row,” she laughed. “I don’t even bat an eyelash.”

DEAL OF THE WEEK: Select Myrtle Beach area hotels, merchants and attractions are offering discounts from January through April 2017 for travelers with a valid Canadian passport.